731
After Laura threatens to cause a scandal Edward agrees to allow Laura to move into Collinwood. Synopsis : Barnabas Collins has gone back in time, to Collinwood in the year 1897. There he must unravel a mystery of the past in order to save the life of a young boy in the present. But as time moves forward again, the mystery becomes more complex. On this day Laura Collins has suddenly returned to Collinwood, knowing that she will be unwelcome by her husband Edward. And knowing also that she will strike terror into the heart of at least one other Collins. Quentin is shocked to see Laura and insists that he saw her die in a fire in Alexandria. Laura reacts calmly and tries to convince him that he imagined it. She reasons with him that had she indeed been in a fire, she surely would have been scarred for life. Quentin acknowledges that she looks exactly the same as when they last met; however, he still does not trust her. Just then Edward appears and accuses Quentin of sending for Laura to continue their affair. Quentin emphatically denies that he had any knowledge of Laura's presence and urges Edward to send her away. Edward attempts to bribe Laura to leave, but she refuses the money and says that she intends to stay. Laura and Edward go to his study where they can speak in private. Laura threatens to expose the scandal of her affair with Quentin if she is turned from the house. Reluctantly, Edward agrees to let her stay. As she leaves to gather her belongings from the Collinsport Inn, Edward arranges for the children to be sent to Worthington Hall immediately. Rachel comes downstairs and notices that Quentin is upset. He informs her of Laura's return. Rachel is confused, but Quentin is in no mood to explain. Soon after Rachel answers the door and is delighted to find her childhood friend, Tim Shaw, waiting. They embrace each other warmly, but on finding that he has come to collect the children, Rachel asks why in the world Tim would go back to Worthington Hall, a place that they had gone to such great lengths to escape from. Tim tells Rachel that Trask has blackmailed him into fulfilling his contract - Trask accused Tim of killing Minerva Trask's brother, Simon Briar, on the night of their escape. Although Tim admits to striking the man, he does not believe he killed him; however, he has no way of proving that. So he has decided to stay at Worthington for the time being and is at Collinwood to collect Jamison and Nora. Rachel is disappointed in her friend, but says she understands. They make up before he leaves with the children, Tim expresses his hope that he will see Rachel again soon. Memorable quotes : Laura: You saw me die? What a bizzare thing to say! ---- : Laura: You’re just the same as you always were, Quentin. You haven’t changed a bit. You’re just as conceited and vile as ever. ---- : Quentin: Rachel, someday we will sit down and I will tell you all about Laura Collins. In the meantime, you must excuse me. I need a drink. Maybe several drinks. ---- : Laura: (to Edward) Family pride is your greatest weakness. ---- : Tim: Isn't it better to light one candle than to curse the darkness? ---- : Rachel: (to Tim, about Gregory) That man is a sadist. Dramatis personae * Louis Edmonds as Edward Collins * Kathryn Leigh Scott as Rachel Drummond * Don Briscoe as Tim Shaw * David Selby as Quentin Collins * Diana Millay as Laura Collins Background information and notes Production * Don Briscoe returns to the cast after an absence of 32 episodes. First appearance of character Tim Shaw. This was the third role played by Briscoe in the original series. * The volumes on the bookshelf, often used as props during the series, seen in this episode behind Laura when she's sitting talking to Edward, are from an edition appropriate to the 1960's, not the 1890's. Story * Quentin witnessed Laura being sacrificed on a burning pyre in Alexandria, Egypt. * Quentin is surprised and frightened to see Laura after he witnessed her die, even after he himself had died, became a zombie, and was brought back to life just a few days before. * Simon Briar was killed the night Rachel and Tim planned to escape from Worthington Hall. Tim got in a fight with Simon, who accused Tim of stealing the money being held for his debt from Trask. Tim punched him, Simon fell unconscious, and he died later. Trask says that Tim killed Simon and threatened to go to the police if Tim did not come back and work at Worthington Hall. This event will take place in the Big Finish audio drama The Crimson Pearl. * TIMELINE: Edward rings Gregory to collect Jamison and Nora today sooner than he planned. 7:20pm: Tim leaves Collinwood. Bloopers and continuity errors * In the reprise, as Quentin moves from upstairs and goes down the stairs in the foyer, he doesn't knock the pedestal at the bottom. At the end of the previous episode, David Selby accidentally kicked it on his way down. If it was a mistake when he kicked it in 730 then not kicking it here is not a mistake. '' ''to addendum: But it's a continuity error, which is also part of the title of this section. * Diana Millay continually looks offscreen to check her lines during Act I. * Louis Edmonds flubs the word "arrangements" as "amainments." * Rachel asks Tim, "How could Mr. Collins send his children back to that place?" although it has previously been established that they have never attended Worthington Hall. * When Rachel and Tim discuss Trask accusing Tim of Simon's murder, Tim says, "Trask says he can prove I can" instead of "... prove I did." External Links Dark Shadows - Episode 731 on the IMDb Dark Shadows Everyday - Episode 731 - Mrs. Burns Category:Dark Shadows episodes